Meet the New CS2 Roster: Falcons Are Taking Flight in 2025

So, it’s January 6, 2025, and we’re already packing more surprises than your half-forgotten New Year’s resolutions. Falcons, the Saudi Arabian organization that had us on the edge of our seats throughout last year, finally unveiled their brand-new CS2 squad—just in time to keep us all from dozing off before the first big tournaments of the year. If you were hoping for a jaw-dropping roster, well, guess what? You’ve got it.

What Happened Last Year?

2024 might’ve ended with a little heartbreak if you were cheering for the old Falcons line-up (let’s be real: their results were tragic), but sometimes you gotta tear it all down before you can build something better. And let’s just say, the new blueprint is looking pretty sweet. The team parted ways with most of their players, pinned down a few high-profile signings, then danced around the rumor mill chasing a certain m0NESY. That fell through, but their consolation prize? Grabbing a chunk of HEROIC’s core. Not a bad fallback, right?

The New Faces: Who Are We Working With?

We’ve got a lineup that basically screams, “We want trophies, and we want them now.” Check this out:

• Emil "Magisk" Reif – The only survivor from last year’s squad. He’s still rockin’ that anchor role like he was born for it.

• Nikola "NiKo" Kovač – Yes, that NiKo. The rifling machine, the man who hates losing more than most of us hate Monday mornings.

• Damjan "kyxsan" Stoilkovski – The rising IGL star who led Apeks to a Major semis in 2023, then hopped around teams showing off that leadership magic. Now he’s here to harness NiKo’s firepower without letting the team implode. Good luck, buddy.

• Abdul "degster" Gasanov – A top-tier AWPer with a bit of an unpredictable streak. If he can adjust to CS2’s nuances quickly, we’re in for some highlight reels.

• René "TeSeS" Madsen – The flexible rifler who used to bust heads in HEROIC. He might have less room to roam alongside NiKo and Magisk, but don’t count him out.

And steering the ship? None other than Danny "zonic" Sørensen as coach, because let’s face it: a lineup this star-studded needs a rock behind the scenes to keep the kitchen from catching fire.

Why This Roster Makes Sense

Sure, it’s not the NiKo + m0NESY dream duo that Twitter was fantasizing about, but come on—three ex-HEROIC members bring a ton of synergy and most importantly, their eighth-place Global Ranking. Translation: Falcons get direct invites to big events, which is a huge deal if you don’t want to slog through qualifiers every other week. Plus, you get a battle-tested core who’s used to high-pressure LANs. Not a bad combination, if you ask me.

Immediate Goals: From BLAST to IEM Katowice

Falcons won’t have to wait long to prove themselves. BLAST Bounty starts online on January 14. If they land in the top eight, they’ll make a LAN debut in Copenhagen on January 23, which should be their first big test in front of a live audience. Right after that, they’re expected to receive a coveted IEM Katowice invite. So yeah, no rest for these birds; they’re diving straight into the deep end.

Potential Fireworks... or Fires

Don’t forget: NiKo is a star with strong opinions (we like to call it “winning mentality”), degster’s still finding his footing in CS2’s AWPing meta, and TeSeS might have to shift roles a bit. This could result in jaw-dropping synergy—or the occasional meltdown if personalities clash. But hey, that’s half the fun of following a new roster, right?

And if rumors of m0NESY eventually joining still hold any weight, you never know who might get benched. The higher you climb, the more intense the competition becomes, especially if someone starts underperforming. But for now, we’ll enjoy the ride and see how they mesh.

No Looking Back

At the end of the day, Falcons needed a facelift after last year’s meltdown, and they’ve got it. This mix of explosive riflers, a rising IGL, and a solid AWPer has fans buzzing about potential top-six or top-eight finishes at early 2025 events. Will they deliver? Only time (and a bunch of best-of-threes) will tell, but one thing’s sure—nobody’s writing them off.

Keep an eye on Waxpeer for all your CS2 skin needs, because if Falcons spark a new meta or a fresh wave of hype, you might just see more trades than usual. And hey, whether you’re rooting for them or not, it’s going to be a blast watching them try to claw their way to the top. Welcome to 2025, folks. Let’s see if Falcons can fly as high as they promise.